Beta-Galactosidase Studies

Beta-galactosidase studies investigate the enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of lactose into its constituent monosaccharides, glucose and galactose. This enzyme is a cornerstone of molecular biology, famously serving as a classic model for gene regulation through the *lac* operon in *E. coli*, which demonstrates how genes are switched on and off in response to cellular needs. Biochemical and biophysical approaches are used to examine its three-dimensional structure, catalytic mechanism, and kinetics, while its gene, *lacZ*, is widely exploited as a reporter gene in genetic engineering to visually confirm the successful expression of foreign DNA in host cells.